The tactician was only brought in to replace SerseCosmi on Monday and was thrown into the deep end at the StadioOlimpico with a Coppa Italia Fifth Round tie.

Siena had been leading, but Michael Cianiequalised at the 95th minute and Lazio eventually won a penalty shoot-out.

“We had tasted victory and qualification,” confessed Iachini. “We did well in all the situations and it’s a real shame, because we had several chances to finish it off.

“After an initial five minutes of tension, the team showed it had learned from the three days of training and did what I wanted. We played in an organised fashion, attacking the space and the goal in the right way. We only failed to turn the chances into goals.

“Now we have to look forward to the next game against Napoli, one of the best teams in Serie A. The phrase ‘give up’ doesn’t exist in my vocabulary. Mentality, spirit, determination and grit are the watchwords for our season.

“We want to win back our fans and remain united to climb up the table as soon as possible.”